Kat the Cheshire Chat
by Kathryn819
Summary: OC Kat Tudor finds out her best friend's Felix Agreste and Marinette are Chat Blanc, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng are Chat Blanc and the Ladybug respectively. She scientifically designs her own powers and unknowingly spends time with her crush, Adrien Agreste when he is Chat Noir, as her own persona, the Cheshire Chat
1. Chapter 1

Kat is weak. It is something she always knew ever since she was little. It wasn't even something she conciously decided, it was just a fact of life that she didn't even know how she learned.

As a child, she knew it. She knew she would eat the next cookie and the next and the next. Because she wasn't strong enough to beat the temptation.

She knew she wouldn't become friends with Adrien. Not anytime soon. No matter how hard she tries. She wasn't strong enough to hold onto her wits when his pretty green eyes stared into hers.

And now she knew that she was weak in another way. As she curled up in her bed and rubbed the tears away. Why was she so weak?

Marinette risked her life on a daily basis as Ladybug. Her closest friend in the world, Felix risked his life on a daily basis as Chat Blanc. But, they were given gifts. They were chosen because they were worthy of power. Nobody ever chose Kat.

Nobody did choose Kat, did they? Felix knew Kat because she was a rich girl and their parents wanted them to spend time together. Marinette spent time with Kat because Kat spent time in her bakery and bought her snacks.

Rose and Juleka hung out with her sometimes. But Kat just felt like she was bothering the two of them when she spoke to them.

"Well, no more." Kat mumbled to herself, taking a deep breath and calming herself. She was determined that no Akuma-butterfly would ever get near enough to Akumatize her, and she had learned to school her emotions into a mask of indifference.

She went back to her lab table and studied Ladybugs "ribbons"? It was something Ladybugs Kwami told her was clothing from Ladybugs presecessor. She allowed Kat to use it so she could try and see what she could do with it.

Kat's smile widened as she learned all of its properties and decided to begin to tinker. She was already agile enough as she was a gymnast. (She had to do SOMETHING to keep from getting to heavy. She did eat almost constantly.) What she wasn't, was strong. And maybe, just maybe, this could make her that way.

She called Marinette with her plan, reverse engineering this clothing (while adding her own improvements) and her best friend helping her put the costume together sounded so perfect to her.

The Cheshire Chat. A superhero. Someone that wasn't rich. Nobody NEEDED to befriend her now. Nobody would pity her. They would admire her. They would wish they were as strong as her.

But…is this scrap of fabric really all she had to work with? She pondered this as she heard the phone dial.

When she heard the soft tones of Marinette on the other end Kat calmly asked one thing of her. "Mari…send me one of them. Chat Noir…or Chat Blanc…I'm not picky."

She would've preferred it be Chat Noir. She didn't want Felix to give her that look he had whenever she did something he considered foolish. She WASN'T foolish. It was just, she was a visionary. And ONLY visionaries can see that distinction.

When Chat Noir finally came, Kat was in her lab, a bunch of crumpled plans and half-baked ideas littering the floor with wadded up papers. There was so many variables! What would help fight Akuma most? What kind of Akuma? You don't know. What powers? Unknowable. She just needed to be prepared for ALL circumstances.

She yawned and looked up at the kitty. She had been up a couple nights in a row as she tried to figure this out, so she wasn't really paying attention as she spoke. "Oh, Hello, Chat Noir. It's nice to meet you. I'm gonna need you to do me a favor and take off your clothes for me." It took a few moments for the words she just said to permeate her own thick head, and when she heard them she visibly cringed.

Chat Noir's eyes widened. Of all the possible things he imagined coming out of Kat's mouth, that was certainly not it.

Adrien knew one thing from "observing" her. (It wasn't stalking he didn't stalk.) Kat was unpredictable. You could barely figure out what she would do next. Felix seemed to know her so well, but Adrien had no idea about it. He chalks that down to Kat never SPEAKING to him. She clearly disliked him, she would never talk when he was looking at her and whenever she did talk to him, she was clearly unhappy about it.

He wondered if this would be a good chance to crack that code. He was also pretty curious, Kat never striked him as the type to say something like that. She was a loudmouth and a brat and cursed like a sailor, but she was always a good girl, so he had no idea why she'd want something like that.

Even though he knew that she, no matter how similar to Felix she was, wasn't secretly dating Felix. It was weird, he intellectually knew that, but then he would catch the two of them hanging out and they would be doing something unexpectedly intimate and the lines would blur even further.

He questioned her about wanting to see him naked, in a teasing and flirtatious manner. He could get away with it now, he was Chat Noir's now.

Kat began to chortle at that, giving a few unladylike snorts of amusement. "you think I want to see you naked. Paw-lease. You are not EVEN pretty fly for a white guy."

Chat Noir gave her an offended look. "Oh? And why else would mew want me to remove my purrfect suit. I need to know be-fur I get naked." He questioned, pretending he didn't really care all that much.

Kat gave him an excited grin. She could actually show someone her work! She knew that Felix said Chat Noir wasn't AS smart as him, but she didn't believe he was dumb.

"Okay, first of all. I have no plan to look." She replied. It was the truth, she was too innocent for that. And that would just be bad form, to ogle someone who didn't want to be ogled WHILE they do you a favor? She was raised better than that.

"Look here." She pulled him over and showed him what she was doing, gesturing with her hands. She was ALWAYS gesturing wildly with her hands so that didn't really add anything to what Chat Noir knew about her. "This is a piece of Ladybugs predecessors clothes. Her kwami allowed me to borrow it. I've been working on it, and fascinatingly enough…"

She excitedly continued, explaining all the mechanics of it and how much she would be able to do and her ideas for the Cheshire Chat. She finally FINALLY pointed out how Chat could help.

Adrien was looking at Kat with brand new eyes. No wonder everyone was so awed by Kat. She was so beautiful when she was excited, but she was also so smart he could barely keep up with anything she said. Her eyes seemed to sparkle and her hair bounced as her entire body seemed to move while she explained herself.

She looked up at Chat and he was just staring down at her, with this expression she couldn't classify at all. It was actually pretty awkward. Did she scare him or confuse him or something? That wasn't her intention. She actually had a bit of a crush on the feline hero. Not nearly as big as her crush on Adrien, but still noticable. "Uhhm. So…what do you think? … uh … could you say something? You're making me rather uncomfortable."

Chat Noir got embarrassed that she noticed his staring so he quickly just agreed to it. She borrowed his belt-tail for a bit and he stayed in the room. Not because he didn't trust Kat to return it. He was just fascinated by her process.

Kat nearly puffed out her chest in pride. She finally figured out he was amazed by her awesomeness and she really did thrive on other people's awe. She finished the fabric, returned his belt and went to Marinette's home.

She knew Mari would be able to use the fabric to make something amazing. She always made amazing things.

Once her outfit was done, Kat had another mystery to figure out. What kind of weapon should she use? She knew Chat Noir and Chat Blanc had magical staff's and Ladybug had a magical yo-yo. She scratched her chin as she tried to figure out what weapon would best suit her needs.

She did this, while trying to figure out how to get the suit to come onto her body and get removed from her body at will. "At will..at will…I GOT IT!"

She ran to her desk and began to sketch plans, using references to what it can be. Maybe someone would be joining the pink lantern core sometime soon? Heh, as if she didn't KNOW.

She had to stop about 6 hours in, because Felix walked into her room, gave her a large cup of her favorite coffee (cotton candy Frappuccino. The sweet tooth never changes.) And dragged her to her room to get changed. More picked her up than dragged her. She was so tiny, it wasn't even hard for him.

"Really, Kat. It's Monday. And you are not permitted to skip school. You want to leave ME ALONE there?" He declared, depositing her on her bed. He had his large mug that could fit over a dozen shots of expresso and it was already half done. No wonder he was so awake before even the sun came up.

Kat pouted and stomped into her closet to find something to wear. "Shut UP Felix. I am a scientist!" She huffed angrily.

"You also got the maturity and size of a 4 year old." He drawled in response. "Besides, literally everything you work on is on that tablet you bring everywhere. You could just do it in class." He didn't really care what she was working on this time. At least, not this early in the morning. She was always tinkering with something and inventing new things. She'd tell him later. She always told him later.

Kat was barely paying attention today in class. They were only doing notes all day and Kat took them without really thinking. She was focused mostly on her sketches and plans for her Pink Lantern Ring. It was rudimentary but for now it would work. It would need to be used a lot to work out the kinks.

She hid her tablet whenever someone mentioned it and Kat was of the opinion that it was best that ONLY the other superheros knew it was her.

She does have a reputation to uphold after all. She couldn't imagine how people would react. Kat Tudor, the only child of Dr. and Dr. Tudor, going out and galivanting with people she doesn't even know, dressed in a childish pink and purple catsuit as she fights! She would never embarrass her father in such a way. And so a secret it shall become, and so a lie it would remain.

Marinette was more interested in whatever Adrien and Felix were talking about. It was so weird. They always spoke in half-sentences and teasing lies and she could never really get what they were talking about.

Felix DID ask him about chasing around "A certain little doe-eyed kitten". He seemed incredibly amused by that declaration. Even more so when Adrien's cheeks flushed and he threatened to 'declaw' him.

During lunch Kat left the school. She stopped to get a burger and some fries, but she ended up back in her lab. She worked on her new idea. Nanobots. She would have to find a cheap way to mass produce them and have them all fit inside her backpack but that is no more difficult than figuring out how to get the suit to bond to her molecular code and grow on her and disappear at will. And she ALREADY figured out how to do that.

She ended up skipping the rest of school. She sent a hologram to replace her and an IOU to Felix to cover for her.

At the end of the day, during patrols a striped cat, with a dimly glowing pink ring met up with the other three.

Chat Blanc figured it out immediately, while Chat Noir and Ladybug already knew who she was.

Nobody but Kat could have that completely self satisfied look look on her face while wiping the smudges from her thick black spectacles.

Kat smiled widely at them all as she began to walk around as they patrolled Paris together.

Funnily enough, it was one of Chat Noir's horrible puns that made everyone calm down. And Kat's reply which caused everyone to snicker and Marinette to roll her eyes.

"How purr-fect. It seems there is a new bug-iful lady to join us on patrol!"

"How mew-velous! Now I'm surrounded by a purr-incess and two purr-ecious kitties."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a several weeks since the Cheshire Chat started joining the other three. Strangely enough, it became much easier. Kat was easily in sync with most of them.

She was most in sync with Chat Noir. She didn't even get it, it was as if she could anticipate exactly what he was gonna do. It wasn't something the two even realized until they watched it later on the Ladyblog.

Somehow it was more difficult to find a balance than it was to fight Akuma. How hard it is to bite her tongue when she gets lectured for not studying or not helping out AS MUCH on the group project (Even though she already did like 80% of it and they could really try and get their own grades) because she was busy fighting evil.

It wasn't hard to lie to her parents about where she was going. Because she never lied. "I'm hanging out with Marinette" or "oh, Daddy. Me and Felix discovered the joys of free-running." Or "the Akuma attack distracted me".

She was annoyed by the latest Akuma. Tomarrow was Nathanaël's birthday. Kat had a tradition where she made everyone she liked presents. ESPECIALLY her friends.

She didn't know Nathanaël all that well. He was shy and quiet and she didn't get to talk to him often. When she did talk to him he didn't seem to really want to talk much. (She saw his sketchbook once and commented that he was an amazing artist and his face turned the color of his hair.)

Marinette was helping her and she was making him some birthday cupcakes. Until the Akuma showed up, that is.

Kat took a deep breath and refocused. She couldn't really afford to lose focus in the middle of a battle like this. Her powers depended on her keeping her head in the game.

"Oooh." Kat was watching Chat Blanc and Marinette go through their plan. She was able to see the flaw that they were unaware of and that Chat Noir was about to pounce into a trap. "Hold it, pretty kitty. Think before you leap." She told him as she grabbed his tail to stop him. "I've got a plan."

Chat Noir gave her a grin. "And what does my claw-ver kitten wish for me to do?" He replied immediately, knowing Cheshire Chat's plans rarely failed. The Cheshire Chat whispered her plan to him, before taking a deep breath. "That's all you have to do."

Chat Noir frowned at her. "Why is it that I'm the distraction no matter what plan it is and whose plan it is?"

The Cheshire Chat patted his shoulder. "Don't feel in-fur-ior. I'm only playing to your tail-ents."

Chat Noir grumbled as they began her plan. It wasn't until late that they actually succeeded in the fight. Everyone kept having to leave and buy the others time as their powers ran out.

Kat groaned to herself as she collapsed in her bed. Ugh, she was such a bad friend. She couldn't even give a guy she sorta likes his birthday present on the right day!

She curled in her bed. She was sure nothing BAD would come from missing out on actually giving him his birthday present on his birthday.

The next day Chloe was on her A-game. Kat was getting frustrated but she knew speaking up would just make the redhead even more upset and embarassed.

Her eyes widened when Chloe declared that he drew Kat and comics of him being her hero and the like. Oh my gosh, that is so adorable. And someone had a crush on her?

Her fingernails bit into the palms of her hands as she clenched her fists. She never wanted to hit Chloe that much when she saw Nathanaël's reaction to that. He was such a sweet, quiet boy. He didn't deserve this in any way.

When he left the room Kat turned to Chloe and began chewing her out. "Are you happy now? Glad to be a horrible, fake-blonde without a genuine or kind bone in your body." That was the most tame part of her rant.

It got to the point where FELIX blushed from Kat's mix of cursing and horrible insults. The last time Kat blew up like this, it was at Felix. He said something really harsh to Marinette and she began sobbing and feeling terrible for herself. She was hoping Nathanaël would feel better but she didn't see him all day. Kat knew exactly what was gonna happen, because she finally had the LAST piece of the puzzle. She KNEW him.

Kat sent Ladybug and Chat Blanc to watch Chloe. Neither of them were pleased, but Kat justified her choice by saying that she couldn't have arguments over plans and she would need to be the distraction for this plan.

They both had to agree, but neither of them liked it. It actually got Ladybug and Chat Blanc to bond over their mutual hatred of Chloe. Chat Blanc was so happy to have something in common with his Ladybug and Ladybug was glad to have SOMETHING to do while forced to pretend to be polite to Chloe.

Kat smiled at Nathanaël when she saw him. She was awed by one thing. He didn't even seem to really be controlled by the Akuma. He just wanted to spend his birthday with Kat.

Kat blushed a soft pink, she left her ring where it would be safe and went on her date with Nathanaël.

Chat Noir spent the d ate getting more and more annoyed and angsty. It wasn't fair, the first time HE isn't the distraction, he has to spend his whole day following his crush on a date with another guy.

They ate dinner together, walked around and Kat admired his work. Nathanaël also drew her some amazing things into existence.

Kat was so close to him, she could remove his Akuma easily. But she was too curious. She wondered if he could get the Akuma powers under control so when Ladybug came she could just TAKE it or something. A nonviolent end to this. It is his birthday and she loved spending time with this sweet boy.

Of course, that all came crashing down when Nathanaël and Kat were on a boat, on the Seine. He was drawing her music and Kat, who sometimes had a short attention span. And right now was the most romantic moment of her life.

Chat Noir extended his staff and "cut in". Nathanaël looked up at the feline and his eyes filled with anger as he figured out that she's been plotting against him.

"You're just like Chloe!"

Well, now Kat was offended, their moment was over, and he was angry. And…what was probably due to lack of foresight. Her powers were not on her! What was she supposed to do now?!

Chat used his staff to propel him and Kat back on onto the bridge and he got ready to fight. Kat was nearly shaking with anger at this whole situation.

Nathanaël was so angry and hurt at this perceived trick and betrayal that he had only one response. He made it so the bridge would sink and put them in a glass cube that it would be difficult (if not impossible) to escape from before leaving. He was off to the home of Chloe to get his revenge.

He put it off for the sake of Kat, but now the sake of Kat made so little dent in all the jumbled up emotions going through his mind.

Chat Noir turned to Kat. "So, little kitten, you got any ideas?"

"I didn't plan for this! I could use my ring because my nanobots are capable enough to do it but I left it at home." She was huffing and her fists were clenched and her eyes nearly filled with tears.

"What?!" Chat Noir replied, eyes narrowed. "You left your powers somewhere else?! How could mew even do something that idiotic."

She glared at him angrily. Now on top of all of this HE has the gall, the SHEER AUDACITY to suggest that SHE is the one being stupid? She couldn't help but tell him exactly what she thought about that. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm sorry. I trusted my partner to not be so incredibly stupid so as to get me put in a situation such as this. Because I trusted an idiot with the brain power of a dodo bird, to do what he should do!"

"Oh really? Am /I/ the one who forgot ALL about the plan, just because there was a date they could go on?" He heard the words he just said and bit his lip. That was harsh and he knew he shouldn't have said it, but he couldn't help it.

Kat raised her hand and Chat Noir actually braced himself to be slapped across the face. Kat roughly wiped the angry tears from her face, moving her hand away from him.

"Chat, use cataclysm and get us out of th is mess." She said it calmly and evenly, even though her voice was a bit wobbly.

Chat Noir did as she asked and took her close to her house. "Meet me at Chloe's mansion, Chat Blanc and Ladybug might need your help."

Chat Noir winced to himself. He didn't really get it, but he really believed he would have preferred it if she had just hit him and called him a useless idiot. Because that's how he felt right now, and her being so polite to him just felt so much worse.

Nathanaël went to Chloe's house and his methods to get even were juvenile at best. He seemed to just want her to feel embarassment and shame and anger but not seriously HURT her.

Ladybug and Chat Blanc tried so hard to keep up with him. They weren't able to do it well, he was just so good with his art and better at thinking on his feet than anyone expected.

Kat ended up scaling Chloe's balcony, she crawled up so Nathanaël wouldn't see her coming. She used her nanobots to wrap around him and hold his arms down.

That short distraction when he was unable to create art was just enough to break his tablet and purify the butterfly.

They all did their congratulatory fist bumps and cheered after Marinette made everything go back to normal. The Cheshire Chat slipped over to Nathanael and smiled at him, holding her hand out to help him out.

"Are you alright? I heard what happened to you today, and that's not cool." She sent him her dazzling smile and added. "I hope you're feeling better."

When she helped him up, she then smiled to him. "Would you, perhaps, like a lift to your home."

Nathanaël blushed to himself. He never noticed before, but the Cheshire Chat had the same passionate brown eyes as Kat. And the same sweetness covered by a macho persona as her as well. "U-um…if, if it's not too much trouble. I wouldn't want to bother you." He sort of wanted her to just keep holding his hand. It was so warm, and while her fingertips were calloused, her hand was soft.

When he got home the first thing he did was concept art and a comic book cover for the Cheshire Chat. Of course, he knew exactly who would fit that character quite perfectly. The lovely Kat Tudor. It didn't hit him yet as he drew the adorable face of his beloved and the outfit of the charming Cheshire Chat.

The next day Kat sat next to Nathanaël. She felt that she still wanted to make the redhead something, so she had baked him a plate of sugar cookies and frosted them herself. She wasn't an artist, so they weren't great, but she hoped he liked them anyway.

Nathanaël was very focused on drawing his art and wasn't paying much attention, inspired to make it just as he envisioned.

Kat couldn't help but smile softly at that. If anyone could understand having that much of an attachment to your own creativity, it was Kat. She looked at his art and her smile grew wider. He drew the Cheshire Chat, what looked like a comic cover of her, and it was so detailed and beautiful and she…she was in awe. Everyone made statues and the like of LADYBUG because Ladybug was the big hero with an almost exotic beauty.

"That's really great." She piped up after a few minutes. "I really admire your talent. So, the Cheshire Chat, huh?"

Nathanaël almost jumped, the way Marinette does whenever Felix unexpectedly appears near her. "Uh…yeah. Thanks." He blushed a soft pink. "Um, Kat?"

Kat smiled widely at him. "I'm sorry it's late, but I wasn't able to finish them a couple days ago. So here." She passed him the plate of decorated sugar cookies. "I hope you like them. And happy late birthday."

Nathanaël gave her a shy smile as he took the cookies and placed then to the side to eat later. "T-thanks, Kat."

"Can I see what you're working on?" She questioned, staring at his sketchbook once again.

Nathanaël showed her what he was doing and embarassedly explained he was drawing HER as the Cheshire Chat. Her cheeks flushed and there was a moment of horror on her face as it occurred to her that he could figure it out. She quickly hid that expression and just grinned at him. "I'm glad you think I'm just as awesome as the Cheshire Chat."

"If anything she should feel proud to be considered the same as you." Nathanaël said that without thinking and it clearly showed from the way he blushed and looked away.

"Thank you so much! You are so sweet." She gave him a light hug before groaning as the bell for class rang. "I gotta get back to my seat. I'll talk to you later."

All three of her regular group were watching the conversation. Adrien was clearly unamused, his lower lip sticking out in a childish pout and his arms crossed. Felix was actually having Nino videotape this. Kat now thinks she likes THREE guys, and two of them are his dorky brother. This is just rich. Marinette had a smile on her face. She didn't know how Kat planned to keep up with hanging out with three different guys, but she trusted Kat to know what she was doing this time.

The fact that that was was a bad idea would be apparent later.

—

The group all ate lunch together, and it was almost comical, the size of their table. Kat had Nathanaël join them, because everyone at the table already liked him (Adrien didn't really right now but he realized any objections he made would be juvenile).

At their circular table Adrien sat at Kat's left and Nathanaël was at Kat's right. Nino was sitting between Alya and his best friend Adrien. Felix sat at the opposite side of the circular table than Kat, stuck between Alya and Marinette.

Felix was, however, rather amused by the sight he saw. Nathanaël and Adrien spent all of lunch making sure Kat wasn't giving attention to the other one, by holding two completely different conversations with her and interrupting eachother. Kat didn't even notice it was on purpose but she was clearly getting flustered at the attention.

Felix idly wondered if they would keep this up for long, because for God's sake SOMEONE needs to eventually make a move on someone. (That date didn't count because Nathanaël couldn't remember it.)

Kat was blushing at the attention and eating her lunch while going back and forth with two cuties wanting her attention. In hindsight this may not have been the BEST idea, but she would definitely be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it.

She was so distracted by all the different things going on she was barely being blushing and awkward when talking to Adrien. As soon as she wasn't sandwiched between the two of them her blushing would continue though.


	3. Chapter 3

It took a couple weeks for everything to seem normal again. Nathanaël and Adrien competing for the oblivious girl's attention almost seemed like a running joke nowadays.

Of course, that may have been because of Adrien and Felix's birthday coming back around.

Kat and Marinette planned to throw them a party, since his father forbade it, and Kat was too obstinate to ever take no for an answer.

Kat and Marinette decided it would be a costume party that would occur on Saturday, during the brothers' freetime. "And they would just HAPPEN to get all the presents in the raffel."

Kat dictated who got invitations. And it turned out to be everyone except Chloe and Sabrina. Kat didn't mind Sabrina too much, but she was uncomfortably loyal to Chloe.

Chloe actually confronted Kat about it the day before the party. "How is it that my invitation was LOST?!"

"Well, seeing as they were verbal invitations, they cannot actually be lost." Kat drawled. "You simply didn't get one. And for a good reason too….I sincerely did not want you there. Still don't." She then walked away from Chloe.

Chloe huffed and it was easy to tell she wanted revenge, but it was so difficult to get revenge on Kat. She was so good at hiding any and all evidence she had ever done wrong.

Kat did end up asking Chat Noir and Chat Blanc to come. It would be a special treat for the two of them. Felix told her Adrien was totally a Chat Noir fanboy, and being able to hang out with all her friends at once sounded like heaven to her ears.

Chat Noir was shocked at the invitation. "Mew really want us to come?"

The Cheshire Chat nodded excitedly. "Mmhmm. I'm doing the party with my friend Marinette. And I would just love it if you guys were able to come."

Ladybug smirked. "We'll even save you a dance." She enticed, seeing how much Kat wanted this now that she thought of it. "Well, if I make it, that is." She would be there, but she probably wouldn't appear as Ladybug.

Chat Noir's eyebrows shot up, "Really? You would?" He asked, trying (and failing) not to sound too excited.

The Cheshire Chat smiled widely. "That actually sounds super fun. I might be busy as the hostess. But I could definitely squeeze in a dance before the night is claw-st. I wouldn't lie about this. That would be a-paw-lling."

Everyone had their own adorable costumes. Kat talked Felix into wearing a tuxedo mask costume and getting Adrien a Joker outfit.

Kat didn't tell Felix, but she talked Marinette into dressing as Sailor Moon. She, of course, had a Harley Quinn outfit.

"Uhmmm…Kat? How did you get him to dress up in a costume that would match mine?"

"Oh, Marinette. Everyone has a weakness. Felix's is that he is weak to compliments." She replied. "And I MAY have just forgotten to tell him you're Sailor Moon." She snickered. "I wonder if Felix told Adrien I was dressing as Harley Quinn? It occurs to me that he never exactly told me."

"I think he probably did. And you avoided my question. HOW did you talk him into it."

Kat rolled her dark-chocolate eyes and replied, "Felix is easy. All it takes is a few well placed compliments and he's putty in your hands. Well…my hands." She corrected herself. "He sorta doesn't like most people enough for this tactic to work often. It DOES work for me. Because he loves me." They were fixing their costumes as they had this conversation.

–

Felix was rolling his eyes at his brother for the hundredth time that night. "No, Adrien. I'm not trading costumes with you. You WILL thank me later." He drawled.

Felix just HAPPENED to forget to tell Adrien that the girl of his dreams would be dressed up as Harley.

"But I WANT to impress her, Felix." Adrien was practically whining. "And stop checking your phone while I talk to you!"

"Don't be a child, Adrien. You're only 10 minutes younger than me." He was flipping through Kat's blog, having gotten a notification that she posted a bunch of pictures.

His eyes narrowed as he noticed there were photos of Marinette dressed up as Sailor Moon.

"So…Adrien." He looked very annoyed at this point. He realized that there was a pretty large chance Kat had attempted to manipulate him into a situation that he CERTAINLY would not voluntarily walk into. "You like Anime, right? Who's Tuxedo Mask?"

When Adrien explained it to Felix, his eyes narrowed and his fists clenched. Kat WAS plotting against him again? Ugh! He just couldn't stand that tiny, crafty kitten sometimes. "You know what, Adrien?" His smirk was almost predatory at this point. "Sure, let's switch costumes."

Adrien almost froze. That look on his brothers face never equaled good news. But, it wasn't exactly aimed at HIM. He wanted to impress Kat, so he took the Tuxedo Mask outfit and got dressed.

Kat started the party and was having fun as a hostess. Her eyes practically glittered as she walked around.

Nino was the DJ and Alya was helping out every once in a while. (Sometimes it was like the two of them just orbited to each other).

Chloe got in, but Kat just ignored that because she didn't want to deal with any drama today. She loved parties with her friends.

She was munching on snacks and going back out almost constantly. Of course, her entire mood almost was complete destroyed when she saw Adrien.

Her hand went to her chest as she almost felt her heart ache. It was beating so loud that she could almost feel it in her bones. He…he…that was the most subtle rejection she could imagine.

She was sure Felix told him, so the only explanation for Adrien not being dressed as Mr. J is that he didn't like her back and was trying to make her not feel horrible for it.

Felix was looking over to Kat, ready to smirk triumphantly when she realized he didn't fall for his ploy. When he noticed the way Kat's face fell and she looked away from Adrien, he clenched his fists. Somehow, he got so convinced that he wanted to ruin Kat's fun that he actually hurt his best friend.

He wasn't even listening to Adrien when he actually started yelling at Felix and getting mad at him because Felix left out the fact that he could've been in couples costume with his LOVE.

Kat purposely avoided Adrien, even though she always wanted to be near him. She was in love with Adrien, but she couldn't let him see how much he hurt her.

Felix went over and invited Kat to dance. Kat shrugged and ended up dancing with him. The two of them snarking at each other the whole time. Adrien tried to pretend he wasn't jealous, Marinette just avoided looking.

It was obvious they weren't ACTUALLY together. But the two of them were still WAY too close together anyways.

Adrien and Marinette danced together next. Felix just rolled his eyes, though he couldn't help but watch the two of them. Not because he cared. Or liked Marinette. Because he DEFINITELY couldn't stand Marinette. No matter how pretty…niiave and childish she was. Right? …Right?!

Kat clenched her teeth. Marinette wasn't a challange, she wasn't even into Adrien. But Adrien didn't even want to look at her. And he DANCED with Marinette.

She bit her lip and walked over to Nathanaël. When she saw he was dressed up as Chat Noir she just gasped. "Oh my gosh…you're adorable." She couldn't help but smile. He was so adorable and she just felt her mood lift when she saw him blush. "Oooh, come on, let's dance."

Nathanaël's cheeks flushed as he followed her to the dance floor and they began to dance. "Uh…thanks. Um…s-sure, Kat." He smiled a small smile as he danced with the slightly nerdy girl.

Marinette wasn't as broken up about the subtle rejection as Kat was. She didn't get her hopes up too much (mostly because Felix didn't even know they were going together). It was a disappointment, but it didn't break her fragile little heart the way it did Kat's.

Sometimes Tikki liked to joke that Marinette and Kat were like Yin-and-Yang. Kat was harsh and cold on the outside, but had this sweet and gooey, and vulnerable center. Marinette was sweet and gooey on the outside, but had a core of steel.

Adrien was slightly jealous as Kat danced with Felix, true. She was so close and intimate with his brother. However, that was nothing compared to how he felt .when watching her dance with Nathanaël.

She liked Nathanaël more than him, obviously. She mostly snarked or joked when he flirted with her, but when Nathanaël (AS AN AKUMA) asked her out, she was immediately on board for a date.

He smirked to himself after a minute and excused himself. If she would dance with someone dressed as Chat Noir, surely the real deal would just be an improvement. When he was in private, he transformed into the punny cat they all knew and loved.

Chat Noir just HAD to interrupt her dance, huh? Kat huffed as the catboy made a bad pun and Nathanaël turned bright red.

Poor thing. She just got him to relax too, and now his idol was right there staring at him wearing his clothes.

"We can have another dance later." She promised Nathanaël, giving him a soft smile as he walked away, all kinds of embarassed.

"What do you want now, Chat? I was having fun." She pouted at him. She did invite him, but she wouldn't admit how glad she was to see him.

"Are you implying that you aren't having fun anymore, Purr-incess? Meow-ch." He replied, not being able to stop himself from grinning at her.

"I'm not implying anything, dude. I'm just merely in shock that YOU'RE what the cat dragged in. I didn't see it coming."

Chat chuckled. "That cat must have very good taste then, no?"

"That is certainly a matter of opinion." She drawled, rolling her brown eyes.

He put his hand to his chest in a flamboyant gesture of pseudo-hurt. "You wound me, Princess. I'm pawsitively sure I am not that pawful!"

"Well, I'm pawsitively sure you're annoying me right meow. Are you doing it on purr-pose or is it just your Modus Operendi?"

"Annoying? And why would you say such a thing about meowself?" He faked heartbreak.

"Because you're a dork and being annoying." Another song started and she just rolled her eyes. "Since we are here, do you want to dance?"

Chat Noir grinned at her, completely over his fake hurt as the two of them began to dance.

Felix, deciding that he still sort of felt like an asshole, went over to Nino. "I'm only doing this cause I'm an awesome brother." He mumbled to himself, before asking Nino to play a slow song, immediately. "For the lovebirds."

When the slow song started Kat's first reaction was to look around for Adrien. When she didn't see him she sighed.

"We…we don't really have to continue if you don't feel like it." Chat Noir gave her an out in case she didn't want to slow-dance with him.

She chuckled and shook his head. "Hey, it's no problem." She answered once she realized she could NOT find Adrien. The two of them began to do their slow-dance.

Felix was so proud of himself for setting that up and he would definitely be pointing it out later to his brother. Before he confronted Kat, that is.


	4. Chapter 4

This Akuma was based on a "Marionette" Akuma idea by .com

Kat almost cried when Tikki flew over to her with Ladybug's earrings. She knew exactly how this happened and she blamed (Felix a little bit) but mostly just herself for not being of enough help. She could have prevented this!

~ Flashback ~

It was a couple days after the twins birthday party when Felix felt he needed to confront Kat about her schemes to make him fall in love with Marinette.

The two didn't even know how it escalated to this, but it ended up in a loud screaming match. As every argument the two controlling, egotistical best friends did.

"Stop setting me up with Marinette! I. Don't. Even. Like. Her." Felix snapped angrily, his cheeks turned red.

"You would!" Kat growled back. "You would if you just gave her a chance. But you just refuse to!"

"No, Kat! There is no way I would EVER fall for someone like Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" He yelled back.

Kat had to mumble. "You already did, you idiot." Before they heard a strangled sob from the doorway.

They turned and saw Marinette, who had seen at least part of that argument. She looked like she was gonna sob, she left the room quickly, trying to cover up her emotions.

Kat shoved Felix and gave him the dirtiest look before going after Marinette. They ended up near a secluded area near the beach. "Oh Mari, it's okay, everything is fine." She held the girl in her arms and tried to calm her down.

"No." Marinette sobbed. "I should've known. Heck, I KNEW. I I was just in denial. What am I? I'm plain a-and stupid and-"

"No, you're not!" Kat argued immediately. "Mari, you are sweet and kind and strong. Felix should feel GREATFUL that someone as great as you likes him." She said seriously.

"B-but he d-doesnt. D-didnt you hear? He-he won't even c-con-sider even liking me!" She sobbed as Kat held her.

"Yeah. Felix is an obstinate brat who would much rather fight his feelings than actually admit how much he cares." The both of them are like that. Kat and Felix both care and feel so much more than either would ever let on. "But you knew that already. The thing is, Mari." Kat whispered to her, as if it were a big secret. "He's so wrapped up in you that he can't even notice YOU."

"You…you really think so?"

Kat smiled softly at her. "Have I ever steered you wrong before, Mari?" Kat teased affectionately, trying her hardest to make her feel better.

~ End Flashback ~

Kat thought she was doing well, spending her time with Mari and trying to help her through her heartbreak. But it clearly wasn't enough. Kat seemed to be unable to ever do enough to help.

She pushed that thought to the back of her head before turning to Tikki with a frown and questioning. "What do you expect me to do? Marinette is the strong one. I can't do anything myself. And I can't FIGHT her. I can't hurt her."

Marinette was akumatized now, from all the different feelings that coursed through her. She tried to feel better and keep it away from her, but she didn't FEEL like the Ladybug anymore. She took the earrings off momentarily as she sobbed. Tikki tried to make her feel better but it was all in vain as a black butterfly flying to her sewing supplies.

She touched her knitting needles and was transformed into the Marionette. Her lips were turned blood red and her eyes were colder than they usually are.

But Marinette was still in the core of this stringed up perversion of her natural form. It even showed in her powers. All she wanted most times was to help everyone and make everyone understand eachother.

The sewing supplies that floated next to her immediately scrawled out the deepest, darkest secrets of those who looked upon it or whom Marionette pointed it towards.

Kat ran from it the second she saw it. She refused to even look at it as it sewed too many secrets and thoughts that Kat tried to repress and ignore. Because she WAS weak and she WAS a failure. And her father may love her but she would NEVER match up to his expectations. And sometimes she wished that she could choose to stop breathing because it hurt to do so.

Marionette froze when she saw it, because beneath her own hurt and pain, Kat was still the person that she would take a bullet for and she KNEW would do so for her.

Kat bolted, not even seeing all the things it started saying about Chat Noir. She wouldn't have looked if she could, because she respected him much too much for that.

"But, you need to!" Tikki argued. "You're the only person who can. You need to help Marinette."

Kat rubbed the tears from her eyes. "Why? Why me? I'm not that great at all." She replied. "You saw the tapestry. You know who I am." She held her ring and sighed. "Why don't you go to one of the boys. Felix is already good enough to get his own powers."

"Oh, Kat. You're good in your own way. And you're GOOD. And I need your help." Tikki repeated. "Marinette needs your help."

That was the statement to push her out of her existential crisis. She couldn't help but do anything for Marinette. She loved her best friend so much.

Kat grabbed the earrings and sighed, taking out the alexandrite heart-earrings out of her ears and replacing them with the Ladybug earrings. "If it's what I need to do." She wiped her tears one last time. "Spots on."

She gasped as she transformed into the spotted Ladybug. This was a rush of magic, caused by Tikki's powers. She had never felt like this before. Like she could do anything. She felt….powerful.

"Is this how the others feel all the time? No wonder Chat Noir and Chat Blanc are both so reckless." She was busy laughing and running around with her new powers. She hurt herself several times as she tried to use Ladybug's yo-yo to spiderman across the city. "That is certainly not as easy as Mari makes it look." She practically whined.

Kat kept missing with the yo-yo and hurting himself. Without the added luck from Tikki's powers, Kat would've fallen to the floor and splattered like a bug by now.

She finally got to the other two boys and Kat ordered them to do what they needed to do.

"Cheshire Chat?! W-why are you Ladybug? And where is the real Ladybug?!"

Kat growled at the two of them. "Ladybug can't help with this Akuma. Because Ladybug IS this Akuma!" She yelled at them before freezing and covering her mouth. Oh my god. She WAS a failure. The first thing she did as Ladybug was hurt herself and give up her best friend's identity for nothing! What is wrong with her?!

"Well, actually what I meant to say was that due to the colorful spots of a Ladybug she was unable to come about while an imposter was about. This is due to the-" She TRIED to ramble on and distract the two of them from her admittance.

"LADYBUG IS MARINETTE?!" Chat Blanc's yell was several octaves higher than his regular voice.

Chat Noir's jaw dropped and he simply had no response for this turn of events.

"We purrtainly don't have time for you two to cast a kitten about this." She snapped, hitting them both upside the head with the yo-yo. "Hey, I'm starting to get a hang of this. Now onto catching Marionette."

Neither Chat was anywhere NEAR ready for that declaration and they were both not 100% focused on the battle. Kat wasn't used to Mari's power, but she was good at thinking on her feet and knew every single weakness that Marinette had.

It was an epic battle of wits and fighting, which lasted almost the entire day and involved every Kwami being fed multiple times. However, in the end Kat was able to subdue her best friend and purify the butterfly.

When Mari came to, both Chat Noir and Chat Blanc stormed her, making sure she felt better because she was the real Ladybug and she was their teammate.

No one noticed Kat's hands shaking as she removed rhe earrings, having to give up the only thing that she ever had that truly made her strong. No one noticed Kat's melancholy because deep down she didn't believe anyone would really do this much for her. No one noticed as Kat gave the powers to Marinette, mumbled some half-assed excuse and went home to get her ring.

It may be artificial power that she built herself. It may not come with a loyal friend to stay with you through thick and thin. But it was hers.

Kat was still determined to never become an Akuma. She never really did cross that threshold of being honestly upset at a certain source. She was just this way naturally.

She would feel better in the morning. For now, a bunch of old Disney and desserts and more updating on her ring. Always keeping busy, Kat was. Sometimes it was as if Kat couldn't sit still for more than 5 minutes.


	5. Chapter 5

It was sort of beautiful. When Paris was ravaged and perverted by Akuma. Almost as if someone had ripped a scab off and the festering sore was shown to everyone in the bright, vivid colors.

Perhaps beautiful wasn't the right word? It was aesthetically marvelous, and beautiful had too positive of a connotation. It was as gruesome and grotesque as it was pretty, but it almost seemed to keep all of her attention constantly.

She wondered if the others felt the same way. She wondered if it might've just been the adrenaline rushing through her system that made everything look so much brighter and clearer yet foggies and dimmer than any other time in her life.

It was for those same reasons that she loved whom she loved. They made feelings coarse through her veins and excitement and confusion rush through her.

She didn't know how to handle this type of emotion. Emotion wasn't something she could dissect and categorize. It wasn't that she could research the scientific papers and choose which emotions were merely infatuation and which were actually true love. Only she could judge them.

How does she compare such different experiences to each other? Especially when they overlap and shift so much. She was told it was just because she was young, but she doubted that even scholars and adults truly knew how emotion worked.

Chat Noir is like a tornado. She is filled with excitement and Adrenaline when she saw him. It was almost as if his very presence screamed to the part of her that was an Adrenaline junkie. She felt like a superhero when he looked at her. She felt strong and smart and wonderful. She was sassy and loudmouthed as ever and sometimes she was almost too harsh.

She didn't know why but she seemed so much…bigger when he was around. She NEEDS Chat Noir to be around, but the words can't come out. She plays her feelings off as a joke because she knows he likes her, but she doesn't really believe his feelings are serious.

Chat is so much like a tornado. Destructive and beautiful and she couldn't even see which way he was going. She didn't even really know who he was deep down. Who was her love under that mask?

Nathanaël is like the sunshine that finds a way to shine down through the clouds. His smile makes her day brighter and it's so confusing too. How her heart doesn't seem to rush a race, but it seems to slow. As if she was truly comfortable.

She felt every day, like life was a series of incorrect twists and turns and she looked at him and all of a sudden she recalled all the good and joy to be found. He was comforting, and she could not feel content unless she knew he was.

His art inspired her and, though she couldn't articulate it in any concrete way, he was as much her muse as she was his. She felt she could trust him with any secret and she could be happy with him even when she wasn't doing daring stunts.  
It felt like electricity when Nathanaël held her hand and she was so confused because she found him adorable, her heart slowed down yet when she looked at him she saw someone who she would fight for and save. Like all superhero's would do with their chosen loves.

Adrien was so different and yet the same as the other two. He made her feel as if she were walking on air and tasting the sky. Her brain seemed to turn to mush when he looked at her and she could hardly heat whatever she said because her blood pounded in her ears like thunder.

When she saw Adrien doing something nice or sweet she could feel her heart swell in her chest and she wanted so much for him to look at her the way she looked at him, and was so nervous to even say so.

She might say the wrong thing. She might ramble and speak like a crazy person and make him think she wasn't good. Let him learn she wasn't powerful or strong. She knew she wasn't heroic. It was just an act. It wasn't even altruistic. She did it to feel the rush and to protect those she declares are hers.

How would she ever be able to tell any of them how she felt when she was such a failure? Even when she eventually won, she failed. Nevertheless, she could never stop. She couldn't quit on something that she needed so much it burned her deep down. She couldn't give up on the one thing she wanted more than her own strength. More than her father's approval and her sugary snacks.

She tried to balance three men in her soul, and she couldn't help but believe one day the veil would lift and she would look back at herself and shake her head at her own silliness. The way she does to Marinette and Felix's tenseness.

Adrien and Nathanaël both put effort into trying to get Kat to be happy all the time. The one thing they both could agree on being more important than all her attention not being on the other, is that Kat's smile lit up the room and they loved to see it.

Kat gave them hugs and spent her time with them and they both knew she was gonna choose one of them, but they came to a sort of truce. It became a sort of "let the best man win" situation. That was completely due to Felix.

Felix gave them both the overprotective big brother act. And a firm talking to on how to treat Kat. "If either of you harm Kat, I will destroy you. She is like my sister and I don't care if you are my brother. Hurt her and I will annihilate you." He sneered at the two of them and added, "Kat doesn't need to deal with two 15-year-old boys fighting over her like kindergarteners on the playground fighting over a toy."

The two of them TRIED to be civil. They weren't good at it because they couldn't help but insult each other under their breath and snark as much as they could behind Kat's back. Nathanaël constantly called Adrien an "annoying, pretty boy". Adrien retaliated by calling Nathanaël a "bratty art snob".

–

Felix, without the drama from Nathanaël and Adrien and Kat's hot mess of a relationship, was just conflicted because now he knew Marinette is Ladybug and he just couldn't seem to reconcile the two as one person.

Marinette avoided him now, because she knew Chat Blanc knew who she was, but she didn't know who he was. She was so conflicted on her own feelings, because she liked Chat Blanc. She could finally admit that to herself. With a lot of prompting and understanding from Kat, of course.

When Kat told Marinette what she did, Mari couldn't bring herself to rage and yell and freak out on Kat. She saw how tearfully her best friend reacted and how bad she felt about it. Kat's eyes could harden and look like almost black safes that no one could get through. But when she told Mari she was sorry, her eyes were deep and sorrowful. She felt sickened by her own failure and inability to do right by herself.

Mari couldn't help but hold her and try and comfort Kat. She saved the world and Mari herself, yet sees herself as the failure. Marinette loved Kat, and deep down, she realized didn't know what she would do if it was her job. To fight Kat and purify the Akuma herself. Could she even beat Kat? Kat is so much smarter and better than her at just about everything she tries.

Marinette couldn't hold Kat accountable for making a single mistake. She made oh so many mistakes in her life. And Kat was always there to help her through her mistakes. (Even if she HAD to say "I told you so" and complain the whole time). It took a while but Kat and Marinette got back to their old tricks, they texted each other about cute boys and daydreams and said everything to each other and could never tell a lie.

Kat hung out with Felix whenever she wasn't busy with her now booming social life. "Two dreamboats are blowing up my phone, Felix…H-how do I deal with this? How do people deal with many people having crushes on you? I have three and I already feel like that is way too many. I mean, how do YOU deal with it?"

The two of them had put their phones on the table near his bed as she had this conversation with him. They both had a pet peeve of answering phones while talking (unfortunately they also shared the HABIT of doing that same thing to others).  
Marinette was texting Kat because she had to tell Kat about her internally freaking out. Kat was always good at calming her down. Her text was a rant about Felix and how great he was and how even though his flaws she could see how genuinely good he was.

Unfortunately, Marinette wasn't really paying attention to whom she sent it to, and she only had two numbers on speed dial. "Kitty-Kat" and " Felix " and her thumb slipped, sending that text to Felix's sleek black phone instead of Kat's glittery red and green phone. (Halloween DID just end, but Kat wasn't ALLOWED to freak over Christmas Time until at least a week before Thanksgiving.)

Kat took a few moments to decide what to do, running her fingers through his hair. The tips had been temporarily dyed red and green for the Christmas season. (She had been decorating everything but not Felix's or Mari's rooms. She got to do that after Thanksgiving.)

When she made the decision, she grabbed his phone and ran out of the room as her thumbs frantically tried to type "FelixTheCat" as fast as possible. She definitely deserved friend brownie points, especially since Felix was now chasing her down and swearing revenge because she took his PHONE.

She went to the new text. It was funny that Mari's name was made when he was torn between his crush on her and how annoying he felt she was. The Contact ID was "Mariughnette ".

They ran all the way to the front door before Kat deleted the text and was immediately wrestled to the ground by an angry blonde.

"Give me back my phone!" Felix growled. The two of them were now just wrestling on the cold marble floor.

They stopped abruptly when the door opened. Kat's eyes widened and she looked up and saw Adrien looking jealous. So, Felix was on top of her in a suggestive position as she laid on the floor and she couldn't even explain why…. UGH. Why wasn't anything EVER easy?

Felix just got up and rolled his eyes at his brother. "You always assume things. I'm in love with Mari- DAMMIT!"

Kat began to chuckle and hold her sides. God damn it, that is just completely hilarious.

Adrien smirked, especially as he was distracted from ranting about the last time Adrien and Mari made assumptions about the two of them.

Felix found it hilarious and it made his head bigger when it happened and Kat just got annoyed.

It wasn't Adrien's fault! Mari and Adrien go near Felix's room and they hear moaning. And Kat is standing on top of a bare-chested Felix as he moaned in pleasure from her back walking. What else were the two of them supposed to think?!

Kat was extremely angry at how her friends disrespected the Christmas Spirit. Felix was making her listen to him whine about the fact that all of a sudden, the girl who was obsessed with him, actually rejected Chat Blanc.

Kat was annoyed because she was in the middle of watching a Christmas movie when he came into her room and started to whine about it.

~ Flashback ~

Felix was finally able to relax and decide that Marinette was a beautiful, wonderful, and amazing girl. The fact that she was Ladybug was just icing on the cake.

She wouldn't talk to him right now as Felix, because he didn't know how to apologize for accidentally breaking her heart when he was unaware that she was snooping.

So, as Chat Blanc he went to Ladybug during their patrols. Chat Blanc, for the first time, actually spelled out his feelings and how much he genuinely admired her.

No matter how gentle it was, her rejection hurt. The only reason his emotional concoction of anger, jealousy, and genuine hurt didn't incite an akumatization was that he was still wearing his ring.

She told him she loved someone else. Someone…someone better than him? Who? Someone smarter or more handsome? Or nicer? What could it be?

~End Flashback~

It filled him with anger and jealousy as his fists clenched angrily. He whined and pouted and acted like a child who had things taken from him.

Simultaneously, he now spent his time around Marinette and sent out possessive vibes. She was probably in love with someone she knew. He would just have to scare everyone else off.

Kat was busy trying to get both of them to calm down with their overly emotional relationship. "I swear to god, you two. It's Christmas! Can't you tome down the ANGST for like a week or two?"

Nathanaël and Adrien tried to make her feel better, even though she wasn't really THAT angry, they were just being a thorn in her Christmas excitement.

That, of course, involved several snowball fights. And by mid - January was stuck in bed with the flu. She was always the first to get sick, the others would get sick later on.


	6. Chapter 6

Kat was sick in bed, feeling like the worst, most disgusting creature ever. Her thick hair was slick with sweat, her eyes were unfocused, she was full of mucus, and she was having hot and cold flashes.

She was lucid enough to watch the Ladyblog. "Oh…" she said to herself as she finished the video for the tenth time.

Not only did they finish off the Akuma, they seemed to have an EASIER time than usual.

It hit her how useless she was, but she forced her mind to clear. No! She wasn't useless, she was just not necessary THIS TIME and that was a good thing. Kat didn't NEED to have to feel guilty because she couldn't help.

She took her night medicine and fell into a really bizarre dream. In her strange, somewhat froidean dream, there was an Akuma who is based on Fairy Tales. And they get sucked into a made up short mini-series of the Aladdin TV show. They will remember everything that happens, and though the forget their powers and actual lives, they recall everything they think of eachother.

The Cheshire Chat is Iago, but she was a harpy instead of just a bird..  
Chat Noir is the Genie.  
Chat Blanc is Jasmine. Much brattier and childish than the original model.  
Ladybug is Aladdin. Nobody really could dispute her heart of gold.

The mini-series was just centered on "Iago" pseudo-betraying her friends in order to get a magical artifact that will give her basically ultimate power. The artifact is one in 3 of existence and the other 2 are pretty much impossible to find. She would do anything to get it.

Iago can't STAND this guy, but he has what she wants most, so she follows him. He has designs on her, clearly, but her mind is full of… the genie? And this redhead whose image isn't 100% clear. (He kinda reminds her of their flying carpet honestly).

When it gets down to it, the other three fight the bad guy. Iago spends the time inching closer and closer to that artifact.

When she has it, she has a choice, use it to rule and remain powerful? Or destroy it to save her friends? (Ironically the second choice would send everyone back to reality.)

Chat Noir loves her, with his deepest affection, but not even he trusts Kat to make the right decision. They all leave her, except the flying carpet (who is now red instead of purple FOR SOME STRANGE REASON).

The Cheshire Chat makes the right choice and destroys it. She covers her eyes as she does so, not wanting to watch herself destroy the thing she would kill and maim herself for. The building they're in starts to shake and quiver.

Cheshire Chat turns to warn the others and say they best leave as soon as possible. They have already left.

Kat's tear filled eyes darken and she cowers as the ceiling begins crumble and shrapnel begins to fall atop her. The flying carpet protects her and when they have all escaped the Akuma's clever ploy, Kat is broken hearted. None of her friends expected her to choose them over her own gain. No one trusted her. They say the love her, but they don't trust her…

She awoke from her torturous dream in a cold sweat, tear tracks on her cheeks as her body shook. Oh, right. She had almost forgotten how weak she was. How incredibly selfish she was. How her flaws were so easy to be seen by everyone else.

Marinette would allow herself to not have what she wants, because she just wants others to be happy. Like when she didn't tell Felix that SHE made the scarf he loves. Adrien, Nathanaël, and Chat Noir are all selfless enough to try and make peace with the fact she likes them all. Chat Noir and Felix/Chat Blanc risk their lives on a daily basis, purposefully putting themselves in harms way to help.

Kat wishes she was strong. Wishes she was kind and powerful and lovely and people thought she was amazing and beautiful…but she just wasn't all of those things. She was selfish, and rude, and downright mean sometimes. She wanted everything and even when she HAD everything, she wasn't satisfied and seemed to want more. As the Cheshire Chat, Kat was the closest thing to satisfied. The rush of adrenaline was almost something she needed to keep her going by now. Because she was so weak that the slightest bit of strength was important to her.

She reached for her pink lantern ring. It was a shameful thing. It seemed that she didn't really grow up. She just went through different security blankets. Her blankie, replaced by her purple teddy named Bearry, which was itself replaced by her tablet, which is now made obsolete by her ring. It made her feel safe and secure to hold it, and she was too busy thinking about her own sadness to notice the black butterfly land gracefully upon the ring and be absorbed into it.

A deep voice started crooning in her ear. Promises of strength and power and everything she could've ever wanted. In any normal moment, Kat would've had so many questions. How does this work, communications wise? What on earth is actually going on? If you have the power to make so many monsters, why not just go yourself? Or since so many get defeated, why not send more than one at once?

This wasn't a normal time though. This was a deep hurt in which all her insecurities were working her into a tizzy. It wasn't a regular insecurity. She didn't fail, her father wasn't just too busy for her, she was just all around never good enough. She didn't even feel like she had the right to be upset right now. It wasn't like someone destroyed what she cared about. Or broke her heart.

On the other hand, the idea of power and strength was something she had not encountered in a while. She could vividly recall being Ladybug. The rush of excitement, energy, and power coursing through her veins, a familiar and encouraging voice seeming to play in the back of her head and this oozing of confidence. If the Akuma could even provide a fraction of those emotions, it was more than worth it. So she felt herself agree to it, it was almost an out of body experience as she became "The Queen" a royal purple cat, with power in her veins and a smirk on her face.

Her hair changed very little, but her eyes changed completely. They glowed a dark purple and her glasses were dropped to the floor, completely useless now. The dark circles under her eyes were even more pronounced without the thick rimmed spectacles keeping them more or less hidden.

She left her house with a maniacal laugh, She only wanted to make everyone else feel as useless as she did, and remain as powerful as she is. If it took her having to pit in the face of her best friends and wrench the rings and earrings from their cold, unconscious bodies to do it, that is what she would have to do.

Kat's entire body hummed with excitement, but that was the last thing she could recall at all as she was Akumatized and her mind drew a blank.

She would never know her own bloodthirsty shrill snarl. Or the second of sadness that crossed her features before she flung Ladybug off the Eiffel Tower. She would never feel the pain Chat Blanc went through when he had to attack his closest friend in the world. The way Chat Noir froze up and looked away from Kat, unable to look at the woman he loved as he was forced to fight her.

She did know other things that she already wished to blank from her mind. (She would've made a pun, but it wouldn't have cheered her up right now.) The way, for example, that Paris looked when she awakes in the center of destruction and fire, the moment before Ladybug fixed everything. The look of utter betrayal of the people she loved most as they looked down at her. The look of fear on the little children's faces as their savoir had become their monster.

She heard Felix try to say something to calm her down. It couldn't work, no matter what it was. The sound of her blood pumping in her ears was louder than thunder. How would she even be able to hear him?

She wasn't numb enough to ignore the sight of Chat Noir, trying to decide how to cheer her up. Because she was always aware of Chat Noir. She couldn't deal with his good intentions right now though. She couldn't deal with him.

She ended up where Nathanael was. That poor artist. She was in his room, and she knew he had figured it out a week or so ago. He was drawing a comic book series of her for Christ's sake.

She thew her arms around the handsome redhead and began to blubber. She dropped her transformation and all that was left was a teary eyed little girl who needed someone to hold her and tell her he understands. Marinette couldn't even understand this.

Marinette was special. She was chosen to be the Ladybug and she was beloved by all.

She couldn't really feel what it was like to fail so often. To try her very best to impress her father and have him be too busy to stay. To have a responsibility to her best friend and simply fail at that too, giving away her secret identity. To not be able to choose between three guys because her head and her heart were each twisted and tugged in a million directions at once.

Nathanael was one person who understood becoming an Akuma and doing terrible things but not being terrible yet also not being special magical albeit imperfect person with a Quantic God (that's what she thought they were) spending time with her and encouraging her.


	7. Chapter 7

It didn't really take a long time for Kat to bounce back. Marinette was water, she flowed and sometimes she could get low but she was always strong and flowing and deep, like a river. She felt so deeply she couldn't even think of hiding it all, though she does keep the darkest parts of her deep where few can see. Kat was a burning fire, though. No matter how much you believe you have extinguished her, all she needs is a little air to breath, a little help to start her back up again and her passion and strength could burn the world down once again.

Kat immediately began helping Marinette and Felix's messed up relationship. No matter how much Felix TRIED, Marinette would never look twice at him. Felix didn't know how to really say he was sorry for what he did, so he contented himself by SHOWING it. Unfortunately, it seems Marinette has blinded herself to his antics.

It was almost hard to watch. Marinette avoided him, yet her eyes were drawn to him. She tried not to get to close to him, but she was clearly unable to even control herself so as to do so. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame.  
Kat had done something she wasn't proud of in order to settle this. She had scanned and printed a few of her best friend's most recent diary entries. Kat and Felix knew the other would do anything to help the other, so Kat was sure that after several days to at most a fortnight of whining, pouting, and giving her the silent treatment, Felix would forgive her for this most recent transgression.  
"I am definitely NOT going to read that." Marinette argued immediately when Kat showed her what she did. "First of all, it is an immoral invasion of privacy. And furthermore, I don't want to know!" She argued vehemently.

"You're gonna do this with me. Or I swear to god I will… send an E-mail to Gabriel Agreste and tell him to … eh… umm… arrange a marriage between Felix and Chloe Bourgeois!" That is officially the emptiest threat she ever made and she has to stop and pray for forgiveness for using the Lord's name in vain. "You're still gonna do this with me, Mari. I know you don't approve but YOU need to do this. If not for yourself, than do it for me! …pweeeeease?"

"…I don't care. He can go marry off whoever he likes." Marinette was purposefully looking away from the brown haired brunette in front of her. "And stop with the puppy dog pout. It's an unfair advantage."

"The only unfair advantage is the one the other person has." Kat replied in a deadpan tone, while still giving Marinette her irresistible puppy-dog pout. Felix, nor her father, nor her mother, nor Marinette herself has never been able to say no to it.

"Kat, No." She was purposefully avoiding Kat's face, looking anywhere but there. She pretended to be fascinated by the photos of Kat's two boyfriends and various other friends, along with scientific experiments, and various awards strewn about her room. "I am a role model for many children I can't do this! Besides, why are you putting me through this?" She started rambling, not giving Kat a chance to reply. "I don't wanna read how much he loathes me. I also don't care if he feels 'guilty' which is pretty unlikely considering how resolute he was as to NEVER liking me, so WHY?"

Kat rolled her eyes so far back that for a second all Marinette could see was the whites of her eyes. "Mari…He's been following you like a puppy for weeks now and been doing everything in his power to "make you like him again". Aren't you curious as to WHY?"

Mari cocked her head as if she were a confused puppy. In all seriousness, she never noticed, too busy trying to heal her own wounded heart. And of course, find a way to fix Kat. No matter how much she is hurting, she knew Kat must be hurting just as much, if not more. "Kat. Does he know I'm Ladybug?" She asked hesitantly. "After you became… Well, I was injured. Did he see who I was without the mask?"

Kat frowned at her best friend and nodded. Technically he knew. Because she told him. But she can't just say that to Marinette. She doesn't know that Felix is Chat Blanc. "Felix knows your Ladybug now, but that isn't the only explanation. Now come on and read this with me."

"I think you have your answer right there. You don't need me to read this. Just… Just let me be, Kat; I've had enough chocolate for many lives as it is."

"Marinette…Do you trust me?" There it was. The card Kat always used to get her way. Mari always ended up bowing down to Kat's wishes on the grounds that she just needed to trust her. Of course, it did usually work the reverse way as well.

"I… Of course I do, you know that! I just… I can't do this. I'd much rather hear him lie in person than read his diary. If someone were to read my diary, I'd die." Seeing the look on Kat's face she added, "Kat…Will you rest this case if I agree to let him at least talk to me?"

Kat's eyes were watering and she looked like she was gonna cry. "You DON'T trust me!" She was about to cry until she heard the last thing Mari said and then she nodded. "Okay, but you have to actually listen to what he has to say. Okay, Marinette?"

"…Okay. And please stop being silly; I'm doing this just BECAUSE I trust you, okay?" The two hugged and then sighed. They both knew what needed to come next. The talk with a certain blonde kitten.

* * *

Before Kat would let it happen she did have a short talk with Felix. ""Okay, Felix. Here is a list of things to NOT do and or say. 1) Don't freak out because she agreed to talk to you and you're probably only getting this one chance. 2) For once you need to actually talk about your feelings. AND APOLOGIZE. 3) Do not say that you realized your feelings when you learned she was Ladybug. 4) Tell her how you fell for Marinette as Marinette. 5) THEN tell her you are Chat Blanc. Not BEFORE."

Felix huffs at that and mumbles that he NEVER freaks out and then gets nervous because "Oh my god, what if I mess up? What if she decides she hates me and never wants to see me again? What if she can never team up with Chat Blanc again and hates me?"

Kat then slapped him in the face. "Okay. What did I JUST say about not getting nervous and freaking out?! God." She huffed for a moment. "You guys both owe me so much for dealing with your angst-ridden-arses." She mumbled under her breath.

Marinette decided to wait until Felix came to talk to him again, giving her time to psyche herself up. Kat had to hold his hand the whole way and give him an encouraging talking to. Mari was so confused after a full day when he was nowhere near her. Seriously? She had to put most of her effort into avoiding him and now all of a sudden he wasn't even trying?

Kat had to physically push him into Marinette. He collided with her and his pale cheeks turned pink. Felix, for once, isn't his cool, calm, and collected self. He stumbles over his words for a few moments and asks her if they could talk, in private.

Mari hums in approval, trying hard to seem completely indifferent. They go somewhere private. Kat, Alya, and Nino are Eavesdropping and Kat promised to tell Adrien and Nathanaël everything. Nino started snickering and Alya ordered him to shut up and hold the phone the right way. Kat made a mental note to set them up next.

Felix, in one long run-on sentence, starts rambling on about how sorry he was about what he said, how he didn't mean it, how he was actually falling in love with her at the time he just couldn't admit it, how he wishes he could take it all back. He needed to stop for breath about 6 times as he said this because it got so long. He stops before telling her he's Chat Blanc and just waits for her to respond, wide eyed as he looked at her tear filled eyes.

Mari was just listening to all that without even saying a single word, stiff as a plank, and is actually trying really hard not to cry. She's unable to stop the tears from escaping. "You.. You…" she tries to say between her now loud sobbing, her shoulders shaking, holding a hand clenched close to her heart as she chokes on her cries.

Felix is wide eyed and has no idea how to respond to this. "I…I didn't mean to make you cry. Please, stop crying."

Kat knew how to deal with this, but he certainly did NOT. Kat was currently being physically held back from interfering by Nino and Alya. "Oh my god, they seriously can not do this without me." Nino ended up half-heartedly agreeing that they are a bigger mess than Kat is and they can't handle their own feelings, but it didn't stop him from holding her back.

Marinette rubs her eyes furiously, trying to wipe her tears off her cheeks. "I-I'm n-not… cry…ing." she says after a while, smiling crookedly, tears still streaming down her face.

Now you're both crying and lying to me." It was practically a whine. Poor Felix was psyching himself up for what he believed to be an immenent rejection from the woman he loved. "Would it be easier for you if I was Chat Blanc right now?"

Kat whispered to Alya and Nino that Felix wasn't Chat Blanc (which was a dirty damn lie) and that Marinette was torn between Chat Blanc and Felix so it was personally logical to ask if it would be easier if HE was Chat Blanc.

Marinette froze, her face twisting in utter FEAR. He… He was Chat Blanc?! She had rejected him because being conflicted over /him/?! But… But wait. Kat had said he knew of her secret identity. Him being Chat Blanc only meant one thing. He was only apologising to his lady, not Marinette as a whole. Unable to process all that information at once, she tried to do whatever she did whenever she was out of ideas; retreat. So she just run towards the door, but, for heaven's sake, she couldn't open it.

She desperately tried to make it move, but it just wouldn't BUDGE! The fact Nino, Alya, AND Kat were all leaning on the door was the cause of that. After a while, she gave up and just slid down to her knees, sobbing loudly, head in her hands.

Felix watched as she was…afraid. She didn't want him to be Chat Blanc. She hated both sides of him now. He felt his eyes water and his lower lip tremble. He roughly wiped his eyes so she didn't see him. "Here." He wasn't stupid. He didn't CARE that he had so much more to say about how much he loves her. She didn't want to be here, and wanted to do anything to avoid her. He put all his force behind forcing the door open. There was a Crack as the door splintered a bit from the sheer force used. The three of them were thrown down to the ground by the door opening so abruptly. He walked away from her, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. She broke his heart and, he didn't even know how to deal with that.

Marinette raised her head, hands still clutching her hair painfully. He… He was leaving. Leaving. Again. Just like he did all those times she'd tried to interact with him in the past. She tried to say something but it stood choked in her throat, unable to get out. Wait. He said he loved her. Yet, he was leaving? Was Marinette that awful to bear? Well, she wasn't. She might not be as perfect as Ladybug, but she didn't deserve that. She rose from the ground in a fit of new-found righteous indignation and just shot at him with a low, accusing voice, "Liar."

Now was the moment that the three Eavesdroppers decided to leave and give them their privacy. This was clearly finally that line that they dare not cross. Kat had left them. When she got to Adrien and Nathanaël , they asked her for details. Kat's only response to that was loud sobbing. She couldn't deal with this angst. It caused both her boyfriends to wrap their arms around her and try to cheer her up. She tearfully explained everything she saw.

Felix turned back and glared at her. His eyes were pink rimmed from his unshed tears and he looked more upset and angry than ever. "What did you just say?" He practically growled. He took her by her arm and dragged her back into their private closet. "Now, I ask again, what did you say to me?"

Marinette shouldn't have lashed like that, she wouldn't, it wasn't like her. But, all of those disturbing thoughts, bottling up… They left her broken. She had to lash out. She needed to. She shook her hand forcefully away from his grasp, glaring into his eyes with just as much force, her own eyes puffy, red and irritated. "Liar." she simply stated again, still able to hold herself back, though.

Felix glowered at Marinette. "/I/ am the liar here?!" He snapped. "All I wanted you to do is like me. And you don't. You don't even like the side of me that is nice and sweet and loves you so much. And now that both sides of me love all sides of you, all you try to do is just ESCAPE. And THEN you have the NERVE to say that /I/ am the liar here? You stopped loving me the second I fell in love with you."

Alright, now she was unable to hold back in the slightest. She was stunned, shocked. "I stopped loving you? /I/ stopped loving you?! Do you have any idea how conflicted I was when I rejected you?! I had already fallen in love with Chat Blanc but I'd fallen for Felix way earlier and I couldn't just do that!" She screamed to the top of her lungs, unaware from the fresh tears streaming down her face. "I don't like you, when all I do is respect you and trust you and endure that unbelievably cold façade, trusting it's just that and trying to break through like the idiot I was!" She stopped to hold her throat, coughing from the sheer volume of her voice.

"And what about you?! You fell in love with Ladybug, the oh so perfect and kind and honest heroine everybody just seems to /adore/ and now, of all times, you come here and claim you love the whole of me, that you love Marinette! So don't you DARE calling me a liar again. DON'T YOU JUST DARE!"

Felix's entire face was dark red and he was filled with a volatile mixture of embarrassment, anger, longing, hope, and fear. "I didn't just fall in love with Ladybug! Just because you don't see it doesn't mean you aren't beautiful and amazing and special just by being who you are!" He snapped angrily. "The only reason everyone loves Ladybug is because she has you in her." He added, huffing and trying to keep his cool but he lost all of it. "So don't you DARE say my love is a lie. When you have no IDEA how much I love you."

"No, /you/ have no idea how much I loved /you/." She used the past tense consciously, trying to hurt /him/, for once. She didn't want to care he called her everything she ever needed to hear, and let her selfish side roam about, not wanting to be the only one hurt again. "Nobody KNOWS IM LADYBUG! NOBODY! NOBODY NOTICES MARINETTE AND EVERYBODY JUST EXPECTS LADYBUG TO BE ALWAYS AND AT ALL TIMES PERFECT, A POISED SUPER HEROINE WITH NO NEGATIVE FEELINGS! WELL GUESS WHAT." she screeched, throwing a tantrum she would afterwards regret way too much.

"I'm sick of it. Don't say you love me, I can't stand it. Don't say love. Don't. Just… Just don't." She brought her hand to her face, trying to hide it because she knew she couldn't trust her expressions to conceal her hurt. "I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this." she muttered, obviously deflated. "Also, when I said 'loved you', I lied; I-I still do." Her voice cracked; she was unable to hurt someone out of her own volition, after all. "Ladybug fell for you in the end, isn't that great, kitten? Unfortunately, everything comes with a price; Marinette is still around." A cold, humorless chuckle escaped her lips.

"Loved?" He whispered to himself, looking genuinely hurt. He believed that she didn't love him anymore, but he didn't expect her to SAY it. When she continued and said the truth, he wrapped his arms around Marinette and held her lovingly. "Marinette is even better than Ladybug." He replied, almost quietly. "I'm glad she's around. It would be a tragedy if you left somehow." He whispered, as honest and open as he's ever been.

She sighed in his embrace, holding him desperately, as if he'd disappear at any given moment. "Don't worry about that." she tried to reassure him, reading out to caress his face with a small smile. A smile that faltered once she heard the rest of his words. "You…"

'Don't believe that', she wanted to say, but she trailed off, not wanting to hurt him, to hurt them both any further. She'd have to keep that inside of her; it would be easy, after all. She'd kept enough secrets from everyone. "Felix, I-" she started after a while, retrieving her hand and holding it close to her chest. She didn't know if he wanted to hear that, but she wanted to say it. "I-I love you." she finally whispered, burying her face into his chest.

Felix held her to him and rocked her in his arms. "I love you too, Marinette." He replied, running his fingers through her shiny blue hair. "I love you so much." He whispered, resting his chin on top of her head. He hoped this meant he was forgiven, but being able to be with Marinette this way was good enough for him right now.

She started crying in relief, a huge, genuine smile taking over her features. He'd said he loved her. He really did. She wanted… She wanted to… kiss him, but she wouldn't push her luck, everything had a limit. So she just sat there, allowing herself to be comforted in his embrace, holding him tighter, closer. A small, quiet "Th-Thank you." escaped her lips, and she raised her head once again ever so slightly to look into his eyes, fearful and expectant of his reaction.

Felix looked into her eyes and leaned closer to kiss her, giving her time to pull away if she didn't want to kiss him right now. He loved her and he finally got his beautiful princess and his Lady both. He felt his chest swell happily. He would just have to end up burning those bridges when they get to them.

She felt as if her mind was stuck with glue. She didn't know how to process the new situation, something she'd dreamt of but never believing it would actually come true. So she just stared at him fearfully, blinking rapidly, leaning slightly back.

Felix made a confused noise and pulled away from her once he saw her lean back. "What's wrong?" He asked confused. "Is something the matter?"

She almost whined pathetically when she felt his arms leave her, but held herself from doing so. She screwed up. "M-Matter? No-nothing is the matter!" she said, shaking her head rapidly. She grasped him from the collar and tried to connect their lips together, but she just managed to bump her forehead onto his nose. She turned deep red in embarrassment, left his shirt as if it'd burnt her and started apologising, biting her lip to prevent her from crying again, not having the strength to look him in the eye.

Felix actually began to laugh at that. She was so clumsy, it was just adorable. "Oh my god, you're so cute." He said in between snickers, before leaning down and wrapping his arm around her waist as he gave her a deep kiss.

She was almost ready to cry when she heard him laugh, but his words made her blush even harder. She grinned happily before squeaking in surprise when she felt his arm crawl on her back, and his lips pressed against hers. They were soft, warm, and she felt herself melt, her knees giving in. She broke away first to gasp for air, leaning on him, eyes closed, a fully content expression taking over her features.


	8. Chapter 8

Marinette walks into Kat's laboratory. She was in there so much more often than her actual bedroom, Kat Tudor is adorable in the fact she has painted her lab and created things to make her lab feel more like home than her room. "Hey, Kattie. What's wrong? And don't tell me nothing, because this is not a 'nothing' look you've been walking around in lately, mon petit chaton." She declared, plopping herself down on a comfy chair that Kat brought in for Nathanael who sometimes acts as her Laboratory assistant nowadays.

Kat sighs and lays back on her chair. It was a recliner that could move back. "I cant make a decision, Marinette!" She whined childishly. "I like them all completely differently. And I can't decide which emotions are stronger or more important. Mari, you need to tell me what to do!"

Mari immediately replied, "Go out with Nathanael. He's a sweetheart, doesn't constantly make bad puns, and you can actually TALK to him."

Kat crossed her arms in response. "You put NO thought into that at all!" She whined. "I mean, I can talk to Adrien now. He's such a dork. I mean, how can you really take CHAT NOIR that seriously?"

Mari's jaw dropped at that. "Adrien is Chat Noir?! And you KNOW about it. What?!"

Kat frowned to herself. "Oh…I wasn't supposed to say that. Yeah, I figured it out a couple weeks ago. I just…I never brought it up because I definitely had no idea how too deal with that. How do I deal with the fact that my kitty is the same person as my crush and yet I am clearly still conflicted on the choice between him and that sweet artist."

Marinette sat up in her chair. "Well, Kitty-Kat. You just need to relax for a little bit. You don't need to just make your decision immediately. They both like you and-"

"That is NOT the problem Mari-Baby. It's not like a lack object permanence. I know they'll still be there but I can't just keep asking them both to wait on a decision that I am unable to even make! They are both so great and I don't even know how I would make that choice." She was still rambling on about her inability to make this decision.

Marinette sighed. "Kat…Kitty….Kit-Kat…KAT…Ugh, she's just gonna keep ranting about this." She groaned and laid back in her chair, knowing she would just have to wait this out.

Kat and Marinette began to actually have their heart to heart talk later on. Marinette was shocked by the fervidness of her refusal to just let anything go. She shouldn't have been, she was aware that Kat's emotions were infinitely more substantial than she would ever verbally acknowledge.

Kat grumbled under her breath. "I don't know how to articulate my emotions this way. I could borrow the words of others but so many of them are so close to my experience, yet so easy to misinterpret. The words don't…stick. This isn't Latin. It's not a finite language. We have such flowery language that is so unnecessary. I mean, think of the word 'Jumentous'. Do you even know what Jumentous means?! It means 'smells like horse urine'. How am I supposed to use my language to explain my emotions in that case?!"

Marinette spritzed Kat with a green spray bottle full of water. It was only there because sometimes Chat Noir had a habit of coming in to her lab and bothering her when she was doing experiments. (Oddly enough it was USUALLY when Kat had Nathanael over to assist her with any two person experiment she was doing. She had unfortunately, yet to make the connection). "You're acting crazy, Kat."

Kat gave her the most offended look she possibly could. "Wow. Rude." She was, momentarily, distracted from her internal angst as she wiped the water off of her thick spectacles. "What do you suggest I do about it, huh, Mari?!"

Marinette had the simplest answer she had in a WHILE. It was difficult for her to be completely honest with Felix or Kat. Felix had her completely cowed, even though he tried to make her more comfortable. Kat, however, was almost worst. Kat was unintentionally manipulative at times. She could twist your words and behaviors to mean whatever she wanted you to mean. Kat may not MEAN it, but Marinette often found herself entrapped in Kat's circle of confusing half-truths, omitted facts, and sharp tongue. "Kat…Just be honest. Tell them what you feel like without trying to talk around them or manipulate them. You might need to use Felix so you don't do it unintentionally too."

Kat frowned at that declaration. She didn't like that part of herself. The side of her personality that would do anything, no matter how harsh and cruel in order to achieve her aims.

She subconsciously insulted the intelligence of the others when she did that. Using her skill of twisting words and confusing others to coerce them into bending to her will. Felix was able to get all her respect along with her affection and attention, mostly because of how headstrong he was.

Kat eventually had to agree with her girl-friend. Marinette wasn't a GENIUS but Kat always trusted Marinette to know what she was doing. She was also more perceptive than Kat, though Kat would rather fight a hoard of rampaging akuma than ever admit to that.

Felix stood in the room with his best friend. He seemed bored, shoulders slumped as he sat down and leaned back on the wall, arms crossed. That was only true to those who didn't know him well. All three in the room saw the way his eyes scanned their faces and the slight tenseness in his brow as he listened to the three of them have their discussion.

He was there to watch Nathanael and Adrien, though he was there under the guise of moral support for Kat. It took almost nothing to get Felix to do this favor for Kat. She actually mentioned it and he DEMANDED to be there "for her moral support". When Felix really set his mind to something, not even Kat could really convince him from his chosen course of action.

Nathanael was awkwardly twiddling his fingers. How does Adrien seem so calm about this whole situation? Kat was babbling and meandering around what she really desired to tell them, Felix was being intimidating in the corner, and Adrien was just leaning back as if he were at a photoshoot. Always modeling, that boy was.

Unbeknownst to him, Adrien was feeling the same way as Nathanael right now. But he also felt betrayed by his own brother! Watching him as if Felix was Kat's twin and not HIS. It was so unfair. Also, he was idly wondering how his alter ego fit into all of this. How did she even plan to sell this to Chat Noir? Or did she plan o just leave his alter ego out of it completely?

Kat was also fiddling with the ring on her finger. The newest version was a blood red color with a little puzzle on the top. There was a million configurations she could play with, and she knew exactly which one would turn the ring a glowing pink and allow her to become the Cheshire Chat.

Nathanael was the first to finally agree when he understood what Kat was trying to say. He loved Kat, (and he would never admit that he had a couple Adrien Agreste photos taped to a hidden page of his binder), so dating the both of them would be a challenge, but also one he could get behind.

Kat's entire visage altered the second the redhead agreed, she let out a happy squeal ("Like a piglet being offered a truffle", Felix would later declare). Her arms wrapped around Nathanael and she gave him kisses on both cheeks before whispering to both him and Felix that she needed to talk to Adrien in private.

"I'm not leaving." Felix drawled immediately.

"Oh yes, you are." Kat argued. "Or I will tell Marinette about…the Drawer."

Felix had a special drawer in his room that was locked and filled with god knows what. He has a special key for it, that is more well hidden than the Chat Blanc ring. Kat once broke into the drawer and only she knows what's in it. She had to swear never to look in it again or he would make her regret it. Not even ADRIEN knows what is in that drawer (as far as Kat knows).

Felix growled at that. "You wouldn't dare."

Kat arched a bushy brown eyebrow. "Oh wouldn't I?" There was a challenge in her tone. She wouldn't, it was an empty threat and they both knew it. They used empty threats to show the other how serious they are about something.

Felix glared at her, before huffing and following a blushing Nathanael out of the room.

"Okay, now, Adrien." She took a deep breath. "I need you to tell me what you think."

Adrien's lip curled in a petulant pout. "What about Chat Noir. I…er…I heard you and the Cheshire Chat both hung out with him."

Kat rolled her brown eyes. "Obviously. I mean, I am technically talking to Chat Noir about it right this second." She looked him straight in the eye as she said that.

Adrien froze up at that declaration. She can't actually KNOW about that…could she. "W…What…? N-No, you're not! It's just me-"

Kat held up her hand. "I definitely know when you are lying. Adrien…I figured out you were Chat Noir. And I LIKE you…I like both parts of you." She added, a bit awkwardly. How can she have such poetry in her mind and yet when she TRIED to tell him what she really thought, her tongue got tied up.

Adrien and Kat finally sat down and actually discussed the two of them liking each other. How Nathanael DEFINITELY knew who the both of them were. He started discreetly dropping hints to eachother. Adrien, blushing a deep red, admitted his feelings and agreed to date the both of them.

Kat was so excited she texted Alya and Marinette. Especially since the three of them decided on a venue for their first date. It was just a show at Adrien's house, since they needed to get used to eachother. Kat sat between the two of them on his couch, a big bowl of popcorn on her lap. They were watching an Anime that Adrien decided on.

It started the first of MANY future heated debates on Anime, Comic Universes, and Hentai between Adrien and Kat. Nathanael would eventually learn to just be amused by them as opposed to how he felt now.


	9. Chapter 9

Kat got her men in the end, Marinette her man. Nathanael and Adrien learned to accept their feelings for eachother and Kat and their relationship grew much healthier. Felix got his Ladybug, and learned to love his Marinette too.

Of course things weren't all sunshine and roses, no relationships are.

Felix remained aloof and insensitive to Marinette. They often snarled at eachother over his unfortunate habit of thinking too highly of his love, which caused him to do unnecessarily risky things to protect her. This had nothing to due with any idea that Ladybug was INCAPABLE, but more of a fear of failing her…letting her get hurt.

"It's fine…" Felix declared, after sustaining yet another injury when throwing himself into danger recklessly.

"Actually, no it's not." Marinette argued, trying to put ice on the large bruise that was forming on the part of his left cheek that was not covered by his mask and thus able to sustain injury. "You should refrain from such reckless behavior."

"I'm only reckless because I need to protect you, My Lady." He tried to send her his little smirk, the one that Marinette could never resist. He winced as the action bothered his injury.

"Don't you "My Lady" me! Do you have any idea how…how AWFUL it makes me feel?" She huffed. "I don't want to lose you. My life isn't more important than yours!"

Felix chose to wait for her to finish her rant before replying because he was smart enough not to make her angrier with an interruption.

"What if I started acting like that? How would you feel? How DID you feel?" Marinette did it once, when they were up against one of the most dangerous Akuma to date; Kat.

Felix bit his lip, remembering how it felt when Marinette threw Kat out of the way. The moment of sadness that crossed her face before he had to watch as the love of his life was unceremoniously chucked off of the Eiffel tower and he just froze, not knowing HOW to save her, before jumping after her to try and save her.

"Don't you get that I NEED you to be safe in order to function properly." Ever since that image was permanently branded into his brain he was even more reckless, never wanting to have that experience again.

"Let me phrase it this way; if something happened to you, would you want to make me feel like that for the rest of my life?"

"Of course not. But your powers allow you to just fix everything in the end. I can't do that so I have to prevent something bad from happening to you."

"What if it didn't work? And you were gone?" She replied, her insecurity and fear showing through her anger.

"Then Kat will use that time machine that she denies exists." Kat got bored of the physics and parodoxicality equations in about ten minutes. It's somewhere hidden in the back of her lab.

"Right. Since there is that time machine that I forgot about, thanks for reminding me, it would serve to bring me back as well, right? So you have absolutely no reason to do such things."

"But _**I**_ would know that I failed you and that you were gone and that everything is awful."

"Felix…you don't even have the Lucky Charm. I would have failed you, even with the lucky charm…" Even as Ladybug, "Wait. That…That doesn't matter. What DOES matter is that you are by no means disposable, and treating yourself as such hurts me an awful lot. So I'd demand from you to…" She sighed weakly, "Just, just stop this. Okay? Will you at least try to?"

Felix couldn't say no to that earnest look on her face. Of course, it did only take a few days before he was right back to his old tricks. And the argument restarted once again.

Kat would've been annoyed by their fights and the way Marinette and Felix were at eachothers throats as much as they were in their bliss. It would've been hypocritical for her to do so, however. She and her boyfriends weren't exactly a walk in the park.

It should've been obvious from the start that that was going to happen, though. With Adrien and Kat you get two loud, passionate, and headstrong lovers. Nathanael, as sweet as he was, was often one to make the arguments worse by agreeing with one side or the other even accidentally one of them could take his words to mean they agree with the other's side.

Usually their fights are over inconsequential things. Who would win in a fight between Franklin Richards and Ichigo Kurosaki, or when Anime passes the line into becoming porn, who the three of them should go to Comic - Con as, or that they were FLIRTING with someone else to make them jealous.

Nathanael would usually be coerced into creating art for his two loves. He did it because he loved them (and he seriously could NOT say no to their puppy dog pouts, that much cuteness should be illegal).

That isn't to say all their arguments are juvenile.

Sometimes they all had to be reminded about what is important. Nathanael sometimes gets upset that he is basically Lois Lane and he had to sit back and watch Wonder Woman and Superman save the day. (Adrien was NOT Batman, no matter how much he pretended he was.) Kat has to be reminded that she was just as important as the other superheroes and the fact that her father had extremely high expectations of her, no matter how much she exceeded everyone's expectations she could never meet up to his, wasn't her fault. She also sometimes got too busy wrapped up in her own mind to remember things she needed to do. Adrien needed to be reassured that he was important and necessary and without him they wouldn't be able to succeed.

They weren't perfect, but they were happy. Even when They had to make eachother feel better because they learned the world in their civillian forms were so much more difficult.

Kat said it best. "Look, when I am the Cheshire Chat, my enemy is a person. It is a physical, tangible being. I can punch the manifestation of my problem. I can't do that all the time. The world is full of concepts and problems I can't deal with it easily. It sucks. Life isn't an akuma who just needs to be purified."

They all had each-other, and even Felix had to admit that is enough for the group of them to deal with.


End file.
